Patients have reported finding it difficult to figure out what they were charged for, how much they were charged, and whether those charges are fair and reasonable. medical billing errors don't only cause problems for patients. They also are a source of frustration for providers, who lose time and money untangling billing codes, insurance requirements, partial payments, and other bureaucratic aspects of billing and payment procedures.
Per a public notice page uploaded by the hospital, Sarasota Memorial has been engaged in discussions with UnitedHealthcare since August. The current contract between the two entities is set to expire on December 31, 2023. Should the parties fail to reach an agreement by the year-end deadline, Sarasota Memorial’s facilities of practice will become out-of-network providers for UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members starting January 1, 2024.
The combination of these 2 pressures means hospitals and health systems are “increasingly financially strapped.” The report analyzed data from a sample survey of more than 1300 hospitals and health systems. From January 2022 to June 2023, the median health system, defined as the 50th percentile of systems, reported a drop in cash reserves of 28%. Days’ cash on hand dropped from 173 to 124 days. The declines in cash reserve were attributed to rapidly rising expenses, according to the report.
Senator Ana Caballero issued the following statement in response to the announcement that Adventist Health would no longer pursue a partnership with Madera Community Hospital. “I was disappointed to learn that a potential partnership with Adventist Health was no longer an option at this time for Madera Community Hospital’s plan to reopen. Since learning that Madera Hospital was in financial distress, I worked quickly to secure a $5 million appropriation and worked to expedite medi-cal reimbursement payments totaling more than $4 million from health plans for the hospital’s use,” Caballero said.
The hospital received final approval from state and federal regulators, following a months-long application process. The transition will not change the scope of services offered at Alice Hyde, or the care available at its facilities. "Our hospital already operates like a Critical Access Hospital in many ways – but we don’t get the financial benefits that Critical Access Hospitals enjoy," said Alice Hyde President Michelle LeBeau.
1 in 5 U.S. adults — 50 million Americans — suffered with mental illness last year, with fewer than half receiving treatment. These realities are even more pronounced in rural areas, where mental health issues are growing fastest and resources are hardest to come by. Nationally, suicide rates among farmers and ranchers are 3.5 times higher than that of the general population, a 2017 study found.